Baseball bat wrappings



March 18, 1969 R. J. TANGUAY BASEBALL BAT WRAPPINGS l of2 Sheet Filed June 25. 1965 RAY MON D J. TANGUAY Buc/(Hom, BLU/Q5 Mmm/5r 8 SPA/mmm y ATTORNEYS Sheet Filed June 25. 1965 www f 4 am. mw F RYM/VD J. TANGUAY /NVE/VTOR BUC/(HORN, BLORE, KLAROU/S 9 SPARK/SMN ATTORNEYS United States Patent C 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Pressure sensitive tapes and 22 reinforced by high tensile strength strands are wrapped side by side on the upper portion of a b-at handle, Wrapping of the tape 20 is continued, a thick layer 24 of latex and walnut shell grit is applied to the tapes, and the tape 22 then is wrapped over the rest of the handle. In FIGS. 5 8, a thin neoprene layer 52 is applied to the handle, a tape 54 is overlappingly wound on the layer, and a thicker outer grip layer 56 of neoprene and walnut shell grit is applied to the tape 54.

This invention relates to baseball bat wrappings, Aand more particularly to combined grips and reinforcing wrappings for baseball bats.

In a baseball bat, it is desir-able, to reduce breakage, to reinforce the handle and transition portion. This is usually accomplished by a wrapping of tape on the handle and transition portion. However, wrappings known hitherto which have been effective to reduce breakage have stiifened the bats and seriously reduced the desirable whip action thereof. It would be desirable to provide a wrapping for a baseball bat which greatly reduces breakage but does not appreciably reduce the whip laction of the bat. It would also be desirable to provide such a wrapping which also provides an excellent friction grip on the handle, Hitherto, it has been impossible to use several kinds of wood such as, for example, maple and black mahogany, which have many desirable qualities, for bats, because the brittleness thereof causes them to break too easily. It would be desirable to provide baseball bat wrappings which would so reduce breakage of bats of maple and black mahogany that use of these woods for bats is practical.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved baseball `bat wrappings.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved combined grips and reinforcing wrappings for baseball bats.

A further object of the invention is to provide a baseball bat wrapping which da-mps snap back while not substantially reducing whip action of the bat.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a baseball bat wrapping which strongly reinforces the -bat and also provides an excellent grip therefor.

Another object of the invention is to provide `a wrapping for a baseball bat of maple or black mahogany which prevents breakage of the bat to such an extent that use of such a bat is economically practical.

The invention provides a wrapping for a baseball bat comprising a tape reinforced by parallel high tensile strength strands or iilaments wound on the handle and the shank portion of the bat under high tension in a close helix and preferably adhered to the handle and the shank portion of the bat by pressure sensitive adhesive. The wrapping may comprise a pair of glass ber reinforced tapes wound in side-by-side relationship along the shank portion of the bat with one of the tapes wound in an open helix directly on the handle of the bat and the second tape wound on a gripping sleeve of latex having Patented Mar. 18, 1969 ground cork and walnut shell therein with the turns of the second tape covering the space between the turns of the other tape and forming a helical groove in the gripping sleeve. A bat wrapping forming an -alternate embodiment of the invention includes a thin inner layer of a resilient material impregnating the handle of the bat, an intermediate layer of tape having parallel, longitudinally extending laments or strands of high tensile strength Wound in a close helix and under tension on the inner layer, and a thicker outer layer of cushioning friction material on the intermediate layer. The wrapping imparts such high strength to the bat handle that brittle kinds of wood may be used successfully as bats, and provides an excellent, roughened gripping surface which is cushioned to eliminate sting and is very comfortable to the hands of the user.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description of baseball ybat wrappings forming specific embodiments thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are side elevation views of a baseball bat and a wrapping thereof forming a specic embodiment thereof during different stages in the manufacture thereof;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary longitudinal section of the bat and wrapping of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are side elevation views of a baseball bat and a wrapping thereof for-ming an alternate embodiment of the invention during different stages in the manufacture thereof; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary longitudinal section of the bat and wrapping of FIG. 7.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. l to 4 a baseball bat 10 of, for example, ash or maple having a handle 12, la shank or transition portion 14, a cylindrical striking portion 16, and a knob portion or butt 18. Tapes 20 and 22 and a cushioned sleeve or grip 24 form `a combined grip and reinforcing wrapping, which provides an excellent cushioned gripping surface and damps snap back of the bat while permitting whip action of the bat. The tape 22 is wrapped on the exterior of the sleeve while under tension and forms a generally helical groove 26 with a generally 4helical rib 28 positioned between the turns of the groove. The rib 28 forms an excellent, roughened gripping surface and the material of the sleeve 24 has a vvery good frictional gripping surface.

To form the wrapping, the two tapes 20 and 22, which may be commercially available, longitudinally reinforced pressure sensitive tapes, are wrapped under about 20 pounds tension each, in side-by-side relationship on the shank 14 of the bat, starting at the upper end of the shank. The tapes comprise closely spaced, parallel, high tensile strength longitudinal l-aments or strands 25 embedded in plastic carrier strips. The filaments 25 preferably are of glass bers but, while not so satisfactory, high strength plastic strands such as, for example, nylon strands may be used. When the handle 12 is reached, wrapping of the tape 22 is stopped, and the wrapping of the tape 20 is continued at the same pitch as before along the 'handle to the butt as illustrated in FIG. 1. Then the exterior of the tape 20 on the handle and the helical b-are portion of the handle are roughened with a steel brush, and the butt 18 is coated with a lacquer to prevent latex from adhering thereto. To form the sleeve 24, the handle then is dipped in liquid latex having about one-eighth of an ounce of walnut grit per quart of latex and seven-eighths of an ounce of ground cork per quart of latex, the lacquer coated portion is wiped clean of latex and the latex is air dried under infrared lamps. This dipping is repeated until the thickness of the sleeve is about 1/16 of an inch. Then the latex at the butt end is trimmed off and the tape 22 is wound under a tension of about twenty pounds on the sleeve 24 to cover the space between the turns of the tape 20 and forms the groove 26 by compressing the cushioned material of the sleeve 24. The tapes preferably are of the same width from about t to 3/8 inch in width and have the parallel high tensile strength fila-ments 2S extending therealong to impart tensile strength thereto. The filaments lie side by side in close helices on the bat, and are under a high tension. Preferably the last turn of the tape Z2 is directly on the 'handle of the bat so that very strong adherence is obtained, the lacquer preferably having been previously sanded off that portion of the handle. The portions of the tapes 20 and 22 above the sleeve 24 then are coated with an epoxy coating to prevent fraying. The grip 24 formed by the sleeve 24 and the tapes 20 and 22 may be from l to 12 inches long with the overall length of the wrapping about 18 inches long. In a hat forming one constructed embodiment of the invention the length of the grip was about l0 inches and the length of the shank covered by portions of the tapes above the grip was about 8 inches. The bat described above had excellent Whip action with greatly damped snap back, and had a longevity of about five times that of bats having conventional wrappings. The tapes and 22 are pliable and do not become dry and stiff.

A baseball bat 40, which may be of a non-brittle wood such as, for example, black mahogany or maple, has a handle portion 42, a shank or transition portion 44, a cylindrical striking portion 46, and a knob portion or butt 48. A Wrapping 50 includes a thin inner layer 52, an intermediate layer for-med by a tape 54 and a thicker outer layer or grip 56. The wrapping provides an excellent cushioned gripping surface and damps snap back of the bat while permitting whip action of the bat and greatly strengthening the handle so that the average life of the bat before breakage of the handle is about six times the norm-al life of prior art bats. To form the wrapping 50', the handle portion 42 and a substantial portion of the transition portion 44 are dipped into a thinned, liquefied mixture of a solvent and an elastomer material, such as, for example, rubber or neoprene, to impregnate the surface portion of the bat dipped and form the thin, solid, inner layer 52 on the bat. The layer 52 then is dried. The tape 54 then is wound tightly, while under about 20 pounds tension, on the layer 52 in a helix having a short pitch preferably such that there is about a 50% overlap so that the reinforcing intermediate layer is twice the thickness of the tape 54. The tape adheres to the inner layer by reason of the pressure sensitive adhesive on the inner face thereof, and the overlapped portions of the tape are also so secured together. The bat then is dipped into a liquid mixture of a solvent, an elastomer material such as, for example, neoprene and a grit material including ground cork and ground black walnut shell, to cover completely the tape 54 and form the outer layer or grip S6, which adheres to the reinforcing intermediate layer. Alternately the outer layer may be formed by applying the elastomer material thereto with the solvent and spraying the grit material onto the elastomer material to embed the grit material into the wet elastomer material, after which the mixture is dried.

The tape 54 is similar to the tapes 20 and 22 and cornprises closely spaced, parallel, high tensile strength longitudinal filaments 55, preferably of glass fibers, embedded in a plastic carrier strip, and preferably has pressure sensitive adhesive on the inner face thereof. The butt 58 may be coated with a lacquer to prevent the layers 52 and 56 from adhering thereto. The liquid latex-like mixture forming the layer 56 preferably has about oneeighth ounce of black walnut shell grit and seven-eighths ounce of pulverized cork per quart of the mixture by volume. In a bat forming one constructed embodiment `of the invention, the tape 54 was commercially available, longitudinally reinforced pressure sensitive tape of about .25 inch in width, and was wrapped under about 2O pounds tension. The length of the Wrapping 50 was about 16 inches, `and t-he length of the shank covered by portions of the tape above the gripping portion was about 8 inches. The bat 40 had excellent whip action, and had a longevity of about six times that of bats having conventional Wrappings with the outer layer 56 comprising over half of the thickness and the inner layer 52 being much less in thickness than one-half the thickness of the outer layer 56. The Wrapping 50 was about 1,632 of an inch in thickness and provided -a firm grip along with sufficient cushioning to prevent sting to the user.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit -and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination,

a baseball bat having a handled and a shank portion extending upwardly from the handle,

a first tape and a second tape wound in side-by-side helices in edge-abutting relationship on the shank portion,

each tape including a carrier strip of plastic, a pressure sensitive adhesive on one face of the carrier strip, and a plurality of glass fibers extending along the strip,

the first tape being wound in an open helix directly on the handle of the bat,

and a cushioned, sleeve-like grip on the handle over the portion of the first tape on the handle,

the second tape being wound in an open helix on the grip substantially between the turns of the first tape to compress the portion of the grip engaged to form an open, helical groove.

2. In combination,

a baseball bat having a handle and shank portion,

a first tape having a carrier strip, reinforcing, longitudinally extending glass fibers in the strip and a pressure sensitive adhesive on one face of the strip wound in an open helix extending from one end of the shank portion to the opposite ends of the handle,

a sleeve of cushion, friction material covering the handle and the portion of the first tape on the handle and adhering thereto,

and a second tape having a carrier strip, reinforcing, longitudinally extending glass fibers and a. pressure sensitive adhesive on one face of the strip -wound in an open helix between the turns of the first strip on the shank portion and wound under tension in an open helix on the sleeve between the turns of the first tape under the sleeve.

3. In combination,

a baseball bat having a handle and shank portion,

a first tape having a carrier strip, reinforcing, longitudinally extending, glass fibers in the strip and a pressure sensitive adhesive on one face of the strip wound in an open helix extending from one end of the shank portion to the opposite end of the handle,

a sleeve of latex filled with walnut shell and cork grit covering the handle and the portion of the first tape on the handle and adhering thereof,

andra second tape having a carrier strip, reinforcing, longitudinally extending, glass fibers and a pressure sensitive adhesive on one face of the strip wound in an open helix between the turns of the first strip on the shank portion and wound under tension in an open helix on the sleeve between the turns of the first tape under the sleeve.

4. In combination,

a baseball bat having a handle and shank portion,

a first tape having a carrier strip of from about 1A inch to about inch in width, reinforcing, longitudinally 3,433,431 5 6 extending glass fiber in the strip and a pressure sensi- References Cited tive adhesive on one face of the strip wound in an UNITED STATES PATENTS open helix extending from one end of the shank portion to the opposite end of the handle, 2101714 12/1937 Keeneya sleeve of latex covering the handle and the portion 5 2,468,202 4/1949 Kams 273-'81 of the rst tape on the handle and adhering to the 2,9121245 11/1959 Gardner et al 273-67 landle ang the rhst tape, f f b FOREIGN PATENTS an a secon tape aving a carrier strip o rom a out 1A inch to about inch in width, reinforcing, longi- 555027 7/1943 Great Brltam' tudinally extending glass bers and a pressure sensitive adhesive on one face of the strip wound in an open helix between the turns of the first strip on the shank portion and wound under tension in an open helix on the sleeve between the turns of the RICHARD C PINKHAM Primary Examiner rst tape under the sleeve to form a groove in the 15 exterior of the sleeve. R. W. DIAZ, IR., Assistant Examiner.

10 OTHER REFERENCES ABC News, published by American Amateur Baseball Congress, May 1955. 

